5th edition

John V Pavlik & Shawn McIntosh

Chapter 2:Media Literacy in the Digital Age

EDUCATION AND MEDIA

We learn much from our daily and extensive interactions with media content

If media are so pervasive in our lives, why aren’t we studying them in the same way that we study geography or biology?

Educators have recognized a growing need to teach media literacy skills to school-age children, starting as young as kindergarten or elementary school and continuing to high school graduation

WHAT IS MEDIA LITERACY?The process of critically

analyzing media content by considering its particular presentation, its underlying political or social messages, and how media ownership or regulation may affect the type of media content we receive

WHAT MAKES MEDIATED COMMUNICATION DIFFERENT

What we see and hear through mediated communication—the signs, symbols, and words we receive through such things as books, the Web, television and radio—affect us in ways that nonmediated communication does not

Semiotics: The study of signs and symbols Framing: Classify, organize, and interpret things

into certain schema, or frameworks

EARLY CONCERNS OF MEDIA EFFECTS

Public concern about the possible effects of each new medium of mass communication as it has emerged

MEDIA GRAMMAR

Each medium of mass communication presents its

messages uniquely

MEDIA GRAMMAR Print media

Books: Physical dimensions, pictures, size and style of typeface, hardcover or paperback, artwork, spacing between words, page numbering, table of contents, indexes, and chapter headings

Newspapers: Subject sections

Magazines: Sophisticated graphic and design techniques, long-form writing

MEDIA GRAMMARRadio & Recorded

Music Radio: Audio

techniques, including volume changes, multiple audio tracks, actualities, sound effects, and voice-overs

Recorded music: Particular stylistic conventions, including length of song and music format

MEDIA GRAMMAR

Film & TelevisionSophisticated media grammar that

is based on editing, camera angles, lighting, movement, and

sound

MEDIA GRAMMAR

Digital media Media grammar

evolves as our communication devices evolve

Adopted from traditional media forms and created new ways for us to interact with the media

IMPLICATIONS OF COMMERCIAL MEDIA

Economic factors and corporate decisions often influence what is and is not covered in the news and what kind of entertainment is created and shown

IMPLICATIONS OF COMMERCIAL MEDIA

Commercial media debate• Critics of corporate media: Media

companies are not like other companies and play a much greater role in influencing our thinking and behavior; media should be publicly funded

• Proponents of commercial media: Profit motive as a key incentive for media companies to produce quality content that people will want to watch or read

CONCENTRATION OF MEDIA OWNERSHIP

Successful media enterprises have acquired, through purchase or merger, other media enterprises and have become larger in size and scope

Greater concentration of ownership results in less diversity of media voices, and a poorly served public; minority voices and non-mainstream views may be silenced

MEDIA BIAS Media bias: Favoring one

side or another with greater and/or more favorable coverage

Bias occurs across media: News: More/less time on

particular stories, language used in coverage; strive for fair and balanced

Entertainment: Propagating stereotypes and normalizing or demonizing certain types of behaviors

DEVELOPING CRITICAL MEDIA LITERACY SKILLS

Assumption that the public is largely passive; media literacy skills help us become better media consumers and producers as we learn to think critically about various media.

DEVELOPING CRITICAL MEDIA LITERACY SKILLS

Guide to think critically about the media: What is the purpose of the media content? Consider the source of the media Examine framing of media content What stereotypes are presented? Question the media ecosystem Make the media